Vamana Purana — Sati's Death & Virabhadra, Shloka 44

Sati’s Death and the Assault on Daksha’s Sacrifice: Virabhadra versus the Devas

Devanagari script

शरास्त्वमोघान्मोघत्वमापन्नान्वीक्ष्य केशवः दिव्यैरस्त्रैर्वीरभद्रं प्रच्छादयितुमुद्यतः

Transliteration

śarāstvamoghānmoghatvamāpannānvīkṣya keśavaḥ divyairastrairvīrabhadraṃ pracchādayitumudyataḥ

Translation

Thấy rằng những mũi tên—vốn không sai lạc—nay trở nên vô hiệu, Kêśava liền chuẩn bị dùng các thiên khí để bao phủ, áp đảo Vīrabhadra.

Word by Word

• śarān: arrows
• śarān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), contrast/emphasis

• amoghān: unfailing
• amoghān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-mogha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); adjective qualifying śarān

• moghatvam: futility/ineffectiveness
• moghatvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: moghatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); state/condition

• āpannān: having become/turned into
• āpannān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√pad (धातु) + āpanna (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); agreeing with śarān

• vīkṣya: having seen
• vīkṣya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), indeclinable; prior action

• keśavaḥ: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• keśavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• divyaiḥ: divine
• divyaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying astraiḥ

• astraiḥ: with weapons/missiles
• astraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vīrabhadram: Vīrabhadra
• vīrabhadram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīrabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• pracchādayitum: to cover/veil
• pracchādayitum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√chad (धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्), indeclinable verbal; purpose

• udyataḥ: ready/raised/prepared
• udyataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud-√yam (धातु) + udyata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle used adjectivally, Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with keśavaḥ

Speakers

• Narratorial verse within the Purāṇic dialogue framework (speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Keśava)
• Vīrabhadra (Śiva-associated)

Key Themes

• Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony through narrative tension
• Astra doctrine (mantric weapons)
• Martial escalation and restraint

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

When ordinary means fail, the narrative shows a turn to subtler, ‘divine’ means—yet this is not mere aggression; it functions as a test of relative divine prerogatives and the limits placed upon power by cosmic order.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Episode-based carita (Vamśānucarita/carita) within the mythic narration, illustrating divine interactions rather than cosmogenesis or genealogical catalogues.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Amogha becoming mogha’ dramatizes that labels like ‘infallible’ are contextual in Purāṇic poetics: a power may be infallible against ordinary foes yet checked before an equal/complementary divine principle (here, Śaiva power embodied in Vīrabhadra), supporting the text’s non-sectarian theology.